Robinson's 41 points, big surges allow Eagles to fend off Cummings

Published: Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 01:07 AM.

MEBANE — After never trailing for the first three quarters, Lamont Robinson read the look from coach Jay McPherson during a timeout.

With the game tied in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Eastern Alamance’s star knew what his coach needed.

“He has these looks, and I think I can read these looks and he gave me the look like, ‘Get us something to score,’ ” Robinson said.

Nine straight points later, seven of which came from Robinson, and the Eagles were on their way to a 79-65 non-conference victory against visiting Cummings High School on Saturday night in front of an overflow crowd at Eastern Alamance’s gym.

Robinson was the catalyst again, exploding for 41 points and scoring at will against whoever the Cavaliers threw at him. That mark was one point off the senior’s career high.

“That doesn’t matter to me. As long as we win, that’s all that matters to me,” Robinson said coolly.

The message during that timeout was also that Eastern Alamance (12-3) needed to regain its intensity, McPherson said.

“Even going into the fourth quarter, I told them the difference could be you getting on the floor after a loose ball,” McPherson said.

Eastern Alamance scored the first nine points of the game and looked unstoppable early, building leads of 18-5, 22-9 and 35-19 in the first half.

But Cummings (11-3) fought all the way back, tying the game at 56-56 on baskets by Quae Pinnix and Tevin Smith in the first 22 seconds of the fourth quarter.

“We got a little worried, but then we thought if we can do it at the beginning, we can do it at the end and finish,” said Eastern Alamance guard Malcolm Summers, who had 17 points and three momentous blocked shots in the second half.

John Lamot scored coming out of that timeout, then Robinson scored the next seven points. Pinnix drilled two 3s in 26 seconds — sandwiching a bucket from Robinson — to keep Cummings close, but Eastern Alamance responded with another 9-0 run that shut the door.

The final surge by Eastern Alamance was highlighted with a flashback to football season, with Joey Lanier hitting Summers on a nearly full-court pass for a layup. A few months ago, that was a quarterback-to-running back connection.

While Summers completed the layup to put the Eagles ahead 74-62 with 1:55 left, Lanier and Robinson each extended their arms to the ceiling.

Touchdown.

“It felt like one of them deep routes,” a laughing Summers said. “I figured they were going to (signal touchdown) because the whole crowd did it.”

The back-to-back 3s from Pinnix were hardly the only heroics for the junior, who poured in 31 points and did all he could to keep Cummings within striking distance.

“If I turn up, then my team is going to turn up and we’re going to be back in the game,” Pinnix said.

The disappointing part for Cummings coach Chas Criss was that after his team scrapped its way back, the Cavaliers seemed to forget how they regained their footing.

“That was the turning point,” Criss said. “You fight, you fight, you fight to get back in the game, and two possessions … that changed the outlook. We had a shot, and I’m proud of the kids because they fought back.”

Smith added 13 points for Cummings.

Girls’ basketball

Eastern Alamance turned a two-point halftime deficit into a 13-point lead by the end of the third quarter and held on for a 47-39 non-conference victory against visiting Cummings.

“We pressed, turned them over,” Eastern Alamance coach Tim Krotish said of the turnaround after halftime. “It changed the tempo of the game.”

Keke Smith led the Eagles (11-4) with 19 points and Bree Evans scored nine of her 11 points in the second half.

Eastern Alamance played without standout guard Jaimee Cousin, who has a hip flexor. Cousin suited up and could have played, Krotish said, but he played it safe with his senior.

“It was tight enough to where I was considering putting her in because I didn’t want to lose,” Krotish said. “But at the same time I wanted some of my young ones to step up and prove they could get it done, show some intestinal fortitude. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”

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MEBANE — After never trailing for the first three quarters, Lamont Robinson read the look from coach Jay McPherson during a timeout.

With the game tied in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Eastern Alamance’s star knew what his coach needed.

“He has these looks, and I think I can read these looks and he gave me the look like, ‘Get us something to score,’ ” Robinson said.

Nine straight points later, seven of which came from Robinson, and the Eagles were on their way to a 79-65 non-conference victory against visiting Cummings High School on Saturday night in front of an overflow crowd at Eastern Alamance’s gym.

Robinson was the catalyst again, exploding for 41 points and scoring at will against whoever the Cavaliers threw at him. That mark was one point off the senior’s career high.

“That doesn’t matter to me. As long as we win, that’s all that matters to me,” Robinson said coolly.

The message during that timeout was also that Eastern Alamance (12-3) needed to regain its intensity, McPherson said.

“Even going into the fourth quarter, I told them the difference could be you getting on the floor after a loose ball,” McPherson said.

Eastern Alamance scored the first nine points of the game and looked unstoppable early, building leads of 18-5, 22-9 and 35-19 in the first half.

But Cummings (11-3) fought all the way back, tying the game at 56-56 on baskets by Quae Pinnix and Tevin Smith in the first 22 seconds of the fourth quarter.

“We got a little worried, but then we thought if we can do it at the beginning, we can do it at the end and finish,” said Eastern Alamance guard Malcolm Summers, who had 17 points and three momentous blocked shots in the second half.

John Lamot scored coming out of that timeout, then Robinson scored the next seven points. Pinnix drilled two 3s in 26 seconds — sandwiching a bucket from Robinson — to keep Cummings close, but Eastern Alamance responded with another 9-0 run that shut the door.

The final surge by Eastern Alamance was highlighted with a flashback to football season, with Joey Lanier hitting Summers on a nearly full-court pass for a layup. A few months ago, that was a quarterback-to-running back connection.

While Summers completed the layup to put the Eagles ahead 74-62 with 1:55 left, Lanier and Robinson each extended their arms to the ceiling.

Touchdown.

“It felt like one of them deep routes,” a laughing Summers said. “I figured they were going to (signal touchdown) because the whole crowd did it.”

The back-to-back 3s from Pinnix were hardly the only heroics for the junior, who poured in 31 points and did all he could to keep Cummings within striking distance.

“If I turn up, then my team is going to turn up and we’re going to be back in the game,” Pinnix said.

The disappointing part for Cummings coach Chas Criss was that after his team scrapped its way back, the Cavaliers seemed to forget how they regained their footing.

“That was the turning point,” Criss said. “You fight, you fight, you fight to get back in the game, and two possessions … that changed the outlook. We had a shot, and I’m proud of the kids because they fought back.”

Smith added 13 points for Cummings.

Girls’ basketball

Eastern Alamance turned a two-point halftime deficit into a 13-point lead by the end of the third quarter and held on for a 47-39 non-conference victory against visiting Cummings.

“We pressed, turned them over,” Eastern Alamance coach Tim Krotish said of the turnaround after halftime. “It changed the tempo of the game.”

Keke Smith led the Eagles (11-4) with 19 points and Bree Evans scored nine of her 11 points in the second half.

Eastern Alamance played without standout guard Jaimee Cousin, who has a hip flexor. Cousin suited up and could have played, Krotish said, but he played it safe with his senior.

“It was tight enough to where I was considering putting her in because I didn’t want to lose,” Krotish said. “But at the same time I wanted some of my young ones to step up and prove they could get it done, show some intestinal fortitude. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”